From It Girl to Pit Girl
by joolay
Summary: Bailey was the it-girl. Logan was the pit-girl in the school's marching band. The fall of one girl, the friendship gained. See what happens when a popular girl gets to see what being a band geek is all about.
1. Bailey Baker

Bailey was the it-girl. She was well-liked by everyone, and envied by those who were less fortunate to have less money than she, which was pretty much everybody. She wore designer jeans and ribbons in her hair, which was straight and blonde. She wore gray contacts. She always looked put together and neat, and everyone knew her name. She was in all the clubs at school, and on the captain on the cheerleading squad. This was Bailey Baker.

Logan was the pit-girl. She was well-liked by everyone in the marching band but not exactly envied. Her family didn't have much money. But she made up for it by wearing creative-looking thrift-store clothes. She usually wore black, wore a wrist-band, and wore worn and dirty converses. Her hair was black with red streaks in it, and she had glasses. She had been in the marching band for two years and was in the drama club at school. This was Logan Moore.

Bailey sat on her desk with her legs crossed, watching everyone in the classroom with lowered eyelashes and her nose turned up. She squared back her shoulders and sat as straight as humanly possible. She knew she was envied and popular, you could see it in her eyes and the way she carried herself.

"Bailey, I don't know what to do." A pretty voice said from her right. Bailey turned her blonde head and her eyes met with one of her best friends, June. "Ally has been talking all week about kicking off one of the cheerleaders. I have a feeling it's me..she looked straight at me when she first announced it. I'm so worried." Ally was the cheerleading coach. In her mid-twenties, she could pass for a high-school student.

"June, listen to me. Keep your composure. Don't let these people see you crying; your eyeliner will run. Take a deep breath and think about it: would she really get rid of you? You're our main base in all our stunts and you have the loudest voice. I'm thinking it's.." Bailey looked around the classroom to make sure no one was listening. "-Kelly Parsons. She knows half the cheers and when she does know one, she can't keep rhythm to save her life. Don't worry about it."

June smiled and her chest swelled as she took a deep breath. She took Bailey's manicured hand, softened by hundred-dollar-lotions and creams. "I don't know what I would do without you. You know you're great, you really are."

Bailey smiled showing white straight teeth. "I know. Come here, give me a hug."

June approached Ashley in the hall. Ashley was at her picture-decorated locker. There were thousands of photos of her and June and Bailey. There was a photo of the three girls at prom last year. They all had perfect smiles and looked so happy. Bailey was in the middle.

"Ashley, she's so oblivious. The girl is still trying to convince herself that it's Kelly Parsons. Does she not even see how we've all been treating her differently? She has her head so far up her own butt that she doesn't see the world around her. She is so self-obsorbed." You wouldn't think it, but it was June talking about Bailey. The smiles in the prom photo were fake. So was the happiness.

The truth was, the thing about everyone liking Bailey was in her own head. She liked to believe that everyone was obsessed with her and that all the guys wanted to have her. Bailey was in her own little fantasy world. Even her best friends didn't like her. The only person who liked Bailey was her own reflection.

"I agree with you. Bailey just doesn't see it. Should we just go ahead and make it easier on her and tell her that Ally is getting rid of her?" Ashley suggested, leaning up against her locker. June bit her lip and looked down, pulling her jacket tight around her.

"I don't know what the right thing to do is. We have responsibilities as friends, even if we don't like it and she doesn't even treat us like friends anyway. I think we should just let Ally spill it. She needs a shocker I think, once in her life. She's alays had it easy and taken the easy way out. We can't do that for her: it would be bad for her." June looked back up. "Come on, we need to get to practice. I'm not looking forward to it, either. Here goes nothing."

Ashley shut the locker door and the two girls made their way to the gym.

"Okay girls, I need you all to sit in a circle. Catharine, bring that tape player over here." Ally didn't look as composed as she usually did. She looked like she had been in a train wreck. "Alexis and Tammy, stop talking please. Where are June and Ashley?" She had her hands in her hair pulling it away from her forhead in frustration.

"We're here!" June and Ashley appeared from the doorway and made their way towards the circle of cheerleaders. Bailey waved them over with a naïve smile on her face. She had no clue.

"Okay, is everyone here?" Ally's shaky voice echoed in the large gym. It smelled like paint in there because it had just had reconstruction. It was all white with green bleacers. Green and white were there school colors. Everyone was quiet and stared at Ally, wondering what she was going to do.

Catharine arrived with the tape player and sat it down on the bleachers near the girls. It was already plugged in. That very tape player would be the ruin of Bailey Baker.

Ally took a deep breath, then dug out a pom pom from her bag. She carried it over to the circle of girls and handed it to Ashley. Ashley stared at it.

"We're going to play a game. I'm going to play our competetion music and you all are going to pass the pom pom around the circle. When the music stops on you, that means.." She couldn't bring herself to say it.

"It means you're kicked off the squad." Ashley said quietly, still holding the green pom pom. All the girls gasped in unison, something Ally was expecting.

"Ally, are you serious? You can't be kicking one of us off- it's halfway into the season-" Ally cut off Tammy. Tammy was the most talkative and most dedicated one of the group. She looked as if she were about to cry. Ally stiffened.

"That's enough talking, let's start the music."

And just like that, the music started and the pom pom began its journey. It passed from girl to girl, each holder with her face in a look of dread. As it reached Tammy, her lip quivered and she shut her eyes. Her fingers touched it and she held it for a minute then passed it to the next girl. She opened her eyes and let out a deep breath of relief, a small tear going down her cheek.

June took the pom pom with no worries. She knew who it was destined to stop on. She calmly passed it on. There were three more girls before it would reach Bailey, and June had her stomach in a knot.

One girl, two girls, ..it reached Samantha Rolston and she took it lightly and passed it on to Bailey. Bailey took the pom pom in her hand with no look of expression or fear in her face. She actually appeared to be bored. As she moved her hand towards the next girl in line..the music cut off.

There was silence. The atmosphere was so heavy that it was almost suffocating everyone. Bailey sat there holding the pom pom as everyone stared at her. It dropped from her hand and the sound of it hitting the floor echoed around the gym.


	2. Logan Moore

It had been several days since anybody had seen sign of Bailey at school. She didn't even show up for work at Rhomba's, a popular designer store downtown.

"I heard she had a nervous breakdown and threw herself off a balcony!"

"I heard she ran away with a Latin guy and they were going to elope!"

"Well I heard that she's pregnant and her parents kicked her out and now she's living on the streets!"

"What a shame! Poor Bailey Baker, the girl must be torn."

- - -

Four girls were huddled in the band room laughing about something. You could tell they were all really close because they either had their arms around each other or had their head laid on another girl's shoulder. Logan was in the middle, dancing to the drums which were being played by Zephyr.

"Logan you crack me up!"

Logan bowed then suddenly screamed out "Aluminum!" And crossed her eyes with her tongue out. The girls laughed. Logan was extremely random and you never knew what she might do next.

"Do you think this looks weird?" Asked Laney, a tan girl with black fingernail polish and it baggy black pants with skater shoes. She was pointing at her eyelids where she had wrote "Screw" on one eyelid and "You" on the other. Logan's eyes lit up and she wrapped the girl up in a big hug.

"You're damn straight it's weird!"

"Whoo! That's what I was going for..!" Laney smiled and looked proud of herself.

"Take your seats, please. Practice will begin shortly." Everyone stopped talking and turned their heads to their band director, Mr.Rickman. He was standing on the podium flipping through a drill chart. Logan grabbed Laney's hand and they ran off to the back of the room where all the percussion equipment was. Logan played the xylophone and sometimes the chimes. Every once and a while she got to march the bass drum.

"Unhand me!" Laney cried dramatically, pretending to faint. Logan slapped her on the head and turned away to the chimes. She made them 'twing' as she ran her fingernail over them.

The two friends acted how they wanted and didn't care what anyone thought of them. In band however you don't have to worry about that much anyway because everyone loves each other with the deepest respect. Laney and Logan were still over-dramatic most of the time because they were in drama

and that's just how they were.

"Quit checking out my hiney." Logan sneered playfully and whacked Laney with her xylophone mallet. Laney winked and the two girls laughed. Soon it was time for practice.

"Sir, can we get out early today? Laney, me, and Oliver are in a play this afternoon and Ms.Stevens said we had to be down there and getting ready." Logan asked suddenly. Mr.Rickman stopped flipping through his drill chart and looked up.

"Sure Logan, I trust that you aren't lying to me." He raised an eyebrow to get his point across. Logan put on a look of utter horror.

"Mr.Rickman! Me lie? You know better than that." Then she cleared her throat and said "By the way, you are looking twenty years younger today in that sweater vest." The class laughed.

"That's enough, Logan." Mr.Rickman loved Logan and all his students as if they were his own children. Logan gave him a 'gotcha' sign with her hand and turned to her xylophone.

Class was drab as usual, apart from the simultaneous laughter that occurred every once and a while. Mr.Rickman usually allowed his students to goof off and have a good time. Everyone loved Mr.Rickman. He was a tall slim man in his fifties with a gray beard and usually wore sweater vests. His forehead rose every time he smiled, and his eyes crinkled up at the edges.

Laney ,Logan, and Oliver entered the auditorium five minutes late and ran up the steps to the stage. Ms.Stevens was standing there with a box in her hands overflowing with costumes. She turned as she saw them coming and frowned.

"What time did I tell you three to be here? I'm going to guess on this, but you have to be at least ten minutes late. I'd check my watch but as you can see I'm busy trying to get everything done by myself." She sounded a bit hurt. Logan sighed and reached out to help Ms.Stevens with the box.

The four worked together putting all the props in the right places, then went backstage to get into their costumes. Logan stood in front of the mirror holding the poofy dress against her. She stuck out her tongue and shook her head. "The last time I wore a dress I was seven."

"Well the last time I was a tree was two weeks ago. I sometimes enjoy morphing into oaks." Laney commented sarcastically, walking out from behind the curtain. Logan stared at her. She was in a foam tree outfit that was brown and green and she had fake apples hanging off her "branches". Logan started to laugh.

"If only I had a tire, then I could go swingin'."

Lacey grunted.


	3. The news

It was dark in her room; pitch black except for the moonbeams pouring in through her window, making a square of white on her bedroom floor. Bailey sat several feet away in the corner, her back up against the wall and her eyes looking upwards towards the nothingness of her ceiling.

In her hand was a drumstick.

---

Laney and Logan were huddled in the instrument room of the band room. It was a smelly room with shelves stacked with instrument cases. It was rather small but the school couldn't afford to make it any bigger. Only six people could be in it at a time.

"Did he tell you this?" Logan was asking, her hands holding onto one of the shelves so she wouldn't faint. Laney nodded. "When did he tell you?"

"Today he followed me out of the auditorium and he grabbed my hand and forced me into a janitor's closet. He told me there. I didn't know what to say."

"But he can't be, I like him too much! It has to be a lie, maybe he just wants attention. I like him too much." Logan repeated. Laney sighed.

"Logan, why would he want attention for that? It's true and there's nothing you can do to change that. You can't make a person not be gay. It's up to them, it's all in their hands. You can't play the part of God in this theatre play we call life. I'm sorry." Laney reached in and pressed her body to Logan's in a hug. Laney usually didn't hug people; she was a 'in her own space' kind of girl.

The atmosphere in that small room even tasted sad. Sad kind of tastes like blood and tears. Logan began to cry on Laney's shoulder. Her body shook and she kept saying 'no' over and over again in between hiccups. Laney was stroking her hair.

Eventually they had to leave the instrument room, much to Logan's objections. She was a bit embarrassed because her eyeliner had run and her eyes were puffy. She was the most depressed she had ever been, but there was band practice to be done and today they were learning some new routines.

The band practiced on the football field after school when the football players weren't using it. Logan walked watching her feet all the way to the field. All she saw was her feet and grass and turf, but then a pair of dirty tennis shoes came into the picture. Logan looked up into the eyes of Oliver. She felt tears sting at her eyes immediately when she saw him, but she bit her lip and looked away, her insides lurching.

"Hey Logan." Oliver whispered. He tried to grab her hand but Logan pulled away, pretending to act like nothing was wrong. "Are you okay? You seem different."

'I'm not as different as you are now, ass hole.' Logan thought but she stared at him through blurry eyes and shook her head, her black hair sweeping her shoulders. Oliver had a look of concern on his face.

"Are you sure you're okay? I've never seen you sad before; you're usually the one making a sad person cheer up." Logan shook her head again. "Are you sure? If you need a hug-"

Logan pushed him away and shook her head. She didn't want to hug him because before she had found out his secret, a hug from him made her heart pump and her stomach clench. She had loved him, and she was so sorry. She hadn't meant to fall in love with him. He had never known. She wished now she would have told him.

"Okay, well I just wanted to make sure you're okay." He gave her one last look and turned away from her and made his way over to the saxophone section. He looked back several times but Logan averted her eyes from his. She didn't want to ever look into those green eyes again; it was too heart breaking.

"Logan?" Asked a voice from her left. She turned her head slowly and frowned at Laney.

"How could he do this to me?" Her voice cracked and tears started to form in her eyes. For some reason with Laney around it seemed so easy to be emotional and let your feelings out. Laney put her hand on Logan's shoulder.

"Sweetie, you've got to get around this. You know there's nothing you can do to make him change."

"But why did he tell you and not me? I'm his best friend; you'd think he'd come to me first. I don't understand." Logan wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. Laney reached out and wiped at them too with a black-nail polished thumb.

"'Lo, I don't know what goes on his head. I wish I could tell you. Shake it off though, Mr.Rickman is making his way out here so practice is starting. Let's head over to the pit, okay?" Laney took Logan's small hand in hers and the two friends walked together farther and farther away from Oliver, the cutest guy in band and a best friend in Logan's eyes.

--

Logan and Oliver had met in the fifth grade. Logan walked into her home room, her black hair in pig tails and a pink frilly dress on. Just thinking about that outfit made Logan cringe. But that was beside the point.

She sat down in a desk that had her nametag on it and she placed her book bag under her chair. "Hi, do you like The Little Mermaid?" A little boy asked who was in the seat next to her. He had shaggy blonde hair that covered his big green eyes and he was pointing at Logan's book bag.

Logan nodded and stared at him.

"Will you be my friend?" He asked, putting his arm around her. Logan stared at him.

"Okay! I'm Logan. What's your name?"

"Oliver Jordan Carmichael. But you can call me Olly."

"Ew." Logan stuck out her tongue. "I think I'll call you Oliver." She patted the mop of blonde hair. Oliver smiled and patted her on the head as well, returning the favor.

"We'll be best friends forever," He whispered.


	4. Who are you?

Lunch time was a ritual.

Logan and Laney made their way down the hall. They were heading to the band room. They always did this during lunch; in fact, they never had a lunch. They wouldn't call it skipping or playing hooky; you can't skip something you don't have, right?

"Are you going to talk to Oliver?" Laney asked, chewing on a piece of her red-streaked hair. Logan gave her a look and kept walking. "You can't avoid him forever you know. He's in all your classes, right? And plus he's my friend too. I'm not going to stop hanging out with him just because you're afraid to face him." Logan narrowed her eyes at Laney.

"Gaw, can't you just shut up about him for five minutes?"

"I think you're just jealous because he came to talk to me first about it, aren't you?" Laney let go of her hair and tugged on Logan's arm. "Admit it."

"Shut up! That's not true and I'm tired of you assuming all the time." She gave out a noise of frustration and sped up, walking away from Laney and heading in a different direction: the girl's bathroom.

When she was sure she had lost Laney, she pushed open the bathroom door and walked in, her insides flaming. 'Laney always thinks she's right. But she's not even close. She doesn't know shit about my life.' Logan approached a mirror and frowned at the girl staring back at her. Then she realized she wasn't the only one in the bathroom.

She heard sobbing behind her coming from a stall. Logan was a people person, so she called, "Are you okay?" The sobbing stopped. "Who's in there?" Logan asked. There was silence. Then the stall door swung open and there was a girl sitting on the closed toilet seat. She stared at Logan and looked like a ghost, even the vibes she gave off felt dead. Logan stared at her. She looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had seen her.

The girl stood up and pushed past Logan, walking to the mirror that Logan had just seconds ago occupied. She stared at herself in the mirror with her hands on her face. She looked like she might start crying again.

"Why aren't youat lunch?" Logan asked, trying to make conversation.

The girl turned her eyes to Logan by looking into the mirror. "I could ask you the exact same thing." She turned around.

"I haven't been to lunch a day this year. I just don't like the school's food." Logan shrugged. There was an awkward silence, then Logan asked, "Why were you crying?" The girl stiffened.

"I can't believe you're asking me that. Only the whole school knows." She had a tone of sarcastic ness in her voice. Logan looked down, then she looked back up and realized where she had seen her before.

"Oh yeah, you're that cheerleader aren't you?"

The girl narrowed her eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, it's just, I remember seeing you at the games," Then she added, "you know, cause I'm in the band and everything." The girl stared at her. Suddenly her face relaxed and she smiled for the first time since Logan had first seen her.

"You're in the band?" She asked, busying herself with paper towels, trying to clean her tear-streaked face. Logan nodded. "You guys do a good job."

Logan smiled. "Thanks. You guys do too."

Suddenly the atmosphere changed. "I don't cheer anymore." She glared at Logan with darkened eyes. Logan made a face.

"How come?"

"I'd rather not talk about it. If you want to know, ask any other student in the school. It's like my life is in the daily paper. Everyone knows more stuff about me than I do." She tossed the paper towels at trash can and missed. "What's your name?" She bent down, picked up the balled up towel, and stuffed it in the trash can.

"Logan Moore. I'm a junior."

"Me too. My name's Bailey Baker."

Logan instantly recognized that name. 'She must be one of the A & B's.' Logan thought, looking the girl up and down. A & B stood for Abercrombie and Bitch, a term used for all the popular snobs, given by the band. In fact, it had been Oliver who had came up with it.; it slipped out of his mouth one day and had stuck.

"You say you're in the band?" Bailey asked suddenly, and Logan jumped.

"Yeah, I play the xylophone, and on occasion the chimes, bass drum, cymbals, -"

"Do you think you could, um, introduce me to your band..teacher leader guy?" Logan bit her lip. This girl knew nothing about band.

"You mean our director, or our drum major?"

"What the heck is a drum major? I just mean that guy with the beard and he wears those icky vests all the time." Bailey stuck out her tongue. Logan laughed.

"Icky vests? Um, yeah I could introduce you to him. Any special reason?"

Bailey bent down towards a purse that was by the sink ( Logan had wondered whose it was ) and stood up. She held out her hand and in it was a drum stick.


	5. Try Outs

The bell that meant school was over rang and echoed throughout the hall like a church bell. The ring could be mistaken as 'Hallelujah" by mistake. However you heard it, it was a beautiful sound.

Logan grabbed her book bag and left her Calculus class in a hurry, bumping into several students in the halls and receiving nasty looks. "Sorry! Oh, sorry! Was that your face? Sorry!"

She ran down the hall and almost slid to a stop in front of the band room door. Actually, her burkenstocks made her slide _past _it, and she had to gather up speed and run back. She shoved open the heavy door and burst inside. Little did she know Mr.Rickman was still having class.

"Logan Moore! What on earth are you doing? Unless you're having a baby, you better make this important." The whole class of freshmen turned around to stare at her. Logan gulped.

"No sir, I was just..I'll wait outside." She knew that's what he was wanting to hear. She drooped her shoulders and sadly walked back out into the hall to sit down on the linoleum.

She began to count the green squares on the floor and got to thirty-four until she was interrupted. "Logan?" She looked up and her eyes met those of Bailey's. Bailey smiled and was standing over her. "May I sit down?" Logan nodded.

"I went in there looking for you but he's still having class so ..I got griped out. Anyway, are you ready to do this? I mean, is this really what you want to do? Trade in your life of popularity and being known? Not many people would do that, you know." Logan gave Bailey a look of seriousness but Logan brushed it away with the movement of her hand.

"That's all over now. Everyone has forgotten about me, anyway. I'm no longer the cheerleading captain or friends with the two most popular girls in school, aside from me of course." Logan stared at her.

"I thought you said you weren't -"

"Oh, I know. Sorry, I guess I'm just used to thinking that way. But anyway, I hope Mr.Rickman absolutely loves me. I know he will, I'm charming and ..I have a way with teachers. They all love me."

"Is it because you sleep with them?"

Bailey stared open mouthed. Logan added, "Because that's what I've heard. Of course I don't _believe _it or anything. Who would? Heh heh." She looked away nervously.

Suddenly the band door swung open making a 'fwuh' noise that made Bailey jump. Logan watched as all the freshmen swarmed out like piranhas. They probably _did _bite, too. So she kept her distance.

When the coast was clear, the girls gathered up their things and hoisted themselves up. Bailey walked up to the band room door and stood in front of it staring. "Aren't you going in?" Logan asked.

"I don't want to touch that door handle. Tons of snot-nosed band geeks have touched it all day. If you would, kindly please." She waited. Logan narrowed her eyes, pushed past her and went in on her own, leaving Bailey standing outside. Seconds later Bailey came running in after her.

"Gosh wait for me!" She was having to kind of hop along because she was in high heels.

"Mr.Rickman, this is Bailey Baker. She wants to talk to you about joining band." Logan stepped aside, and Bailey approached carefully, as if Mr.Rickman had rabies.

"What do you play? We could use another tuba." He eyed Bailey up and down. Bailey made a face and shook her head.

"No, sir. Tubas are for over weight people." She was talking slow, as if Mr.Rickman was a child. "I want to know if I can play the snares. You DO have snares, don't you?"

"Of course we do. But there's two problems.You have to work yourself up to get to play the snares. I can't just hang them on your shoulders and expect you to be stupendous. And second, we have so many percussion players that it's not like we're desperate for one. There are..let's see..." He began to count on his fingers.

"Sir, I've been playing the drums for seven years now. My parents bought me a drum set for Christmas when I was ten years old. I was a natural. Do you want me to prove it or anything? Because I can." She ran towards the quads and Mr.Rickman stopped her.

"Okay, look. Stay with me after school today and I'll see what you can do. Do you have a ride?"

Bailey's eyes widenened. "Thank you, sir! And..no. My brother dropped me off today but I told him I'd ride the ...the bus today. But ew I'm so glad they already left. Yuck!"

"I can drive you." Logan said after a moment's hesitation. Bailey cheered and gave Logan a hug. Logan stood there for a minute trying to gather what had just happened. She had just got hugged from one of the former A&B's. But the strange thing was, it didn't feel so bad.

-----

It was over. Mr.Rickman crossed his arms across his chest and cleared his throat. "Bailey, I think I've made my decision."

---

A/N: Cliffhanger! To everyone who has reviewed, thank you so much! I know this is awfully sassy of me, but I am not updating until I get twenty reviews. It's not that hard to push the shiny blue button! I appreciate everyone's support in this ongoing project. I really like this story, it actually has a plot and is going somewhere. Kudos to myself. Review! Thank you!..Julie


	6. Motor Mouths

It was over. Mr.Rickman crossed his arms across his chest and cleared his throat. "Bailey, I think I've made my decision."

---

Bailey stood standing over the snares holding the drum sticks in her hands. She was gripping them so tightly her knuckles were turning milk-white and she couldn't uncoil her fingers from them. She felt like if she let go, then something bad would happen or go wrong, so she tightened her fingers around the smooth wood tighter.

Logan was leaned up against the wall in the back of the band room away from the drama. She had listened to Bailey try out and she honestly thought Bailey had made it. Still, she eagerly strained to hear what Mr.Rickman was saying.

She couldn't hear what they were saying, but whatever it was caused Bailey's eyes to widen. The body language showed that Bailey was startled, and she and Mr.Rickman talked a bit more before Bailey turned and walked towards Logan with a surprised expression on her pretty face.

"Take me home." Bailey said simply, then turned and walked to the band room door and slipped outside. Logan hurried after her.

"Wait! Bailey you have to tell- Auugghh!" She ran face-first into the door and grabbed her nose with tears in her eyes. "Wait Bailey!" Logan kept one hand on her nose and used the other to push open the door and she ran outside. She caught up with Bailey who was half-way to the parking lot on the sidewalk. The weather was nice outside. There was a nice cool breeze that lifted Bailey's golden hair and flipped it outwards and inwards, rolling like the whitecaps of the ocean.

"Which one is your car?" Bailey asked, scanning the deserted parking lot. Logan raised an eyebrow and let go of her nose.

"Well it's not Mr.Rickman's car," She pointed at a black Mercedes that had a band sticker on the windshield, "So it must be this one." She lead Bailey to the only other car in the parking lot. It was a blue Volkswagen beetle and it was decorated with millions of environmental bumper stickers. One read 'Save the trees, wipe your butt with a beaver'. Bailey stared at it.

Logan dug in her bag for her car keys. Her bag was a brown shoulder-bag with tons of pockets and cervices and had a few lanyards hanging off of it that Laney had made her in fifth grade.

Logan finally pulled out a cluster of at least twenty key chains all linked together and found her car key amongst the metal and fluff. She pushed the button and the car beeped, unlocking itself.

"And I am not opening your door for you, so if you want to get home, I suggest you get in or I'm going to leave you in this parking lot. Maybe some hobo will let you share his blanket." Logan hopped in and shut the door. Bailey stood hesitant, but finally opened the car door and slid inside slowly as if she were entering a dangerous place that was off-limits.

"Wow it's really..roomy in here." Bailey said awkwardly, pushing some junk out of the seat so she could sit down. There were McDonalds burger wrappers in the floorboard and clothes hung over the seats. Logan dug around in the floor board then returned with a box of fries. They were probably two days old.

"Want some?" Logan asked. Bailey shook her head. "Suit yourself." She shoved some in her mouth.

--

"What kind of music do you have that we can listen to?" Bailey asked over the rushing roar of the wind coming from Logan's opened window. Logan had her hand sticking out and it was holding a cigarette.

"What?" Logan yelled, glancing quickly to Bailey but turning back to the road. Bailey reached over Logan's lap and pushed the window's button herself, making it go up. Logan had to toss out the cigarette so her hand wouldn't get cut off. "Hey, what do you think you're doing?"

"I said, do you have any music we can listen to? If you can even find it in all this mess.."

"You call this a mess? You should see my room. There's gerbil in there somewhere…now where's my Zeppelin…" She took her hands off the steering wheel and started flipping through a CD case that was down in the floor.

"Watch the road!" Bailey grabbed the steering wheel and they swerved around a truck driver who did a rude gesture with his hand after blowing the horn several times. Logan sat back up with a CD in her hand.

"Here we go..Have you ever heard 'Stairway to Heaven'?" She popped in the music and fiddled with the controls. Bailey was still having a hard time catching her breath, after almost being pummeled by a Penski truck.

"No, I haven't. I don't like stairways, they're too complicated. In my house we have an elevator." Bailey took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Logan's finger hovered over the 'play' button, but she hesitated.

"Bailey, what all did Mr.Rickman say to you in the band room?"

Bailey opened her crystal blue eyes. When she had opened them it had gone from eyelid to blue so fast it was almost like a flash of neon light.

"He..um..put me in pit."

"That's great! You're with me!"

"Yeah, but it's not great when you've been playing snare and quads your whole life. I should've been able to make it. I don't know what went wrong."

"Well what do you play?"

"Triangle. Slow down, there's my stop."

---


	7. Jack

"Bailey Baker is in the band?" Laney stopped dead in her tracks and stared at Logan. There was an awkward silence as they stood outside the band room door; the only sound was the muffled resonance of instruments coming from inside. Logan nodded.

"She's in pit with us, so you'll have to get used to it. And be nice to her- she's really nervous." Logan pushed open the band room door with one hand, and led Laney in with the other. The sound of instruments was no longer muffled now, and the music engulfed them. The two girls shut the door behind them and made their way over to the back of the band room where all the percussion stuff was. Right in the middle of it all was Bailey, looking unsure of herself.

"Logan!" Bailey cried, looking a bit relieved, and gave Logan a big hug. Laney rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, looking perhaps a bit envious. "I'm so glad you made it."

"Um, of course I made it. I come to the band room three times a day, it's not like I forget where it is." Logan pulled away from Bailey and stood back. "So, where's your triangle?"

Bailey looked around, suddenly looking nervous again. "I have no clue. I want to play the snares so bad, though." She stared thoughtfully over at the snares, which were occupied by a red haired girl named Claire. Claire was doing some diddles.

"Well, you're triangle is right behind you. And I'll leave you to it, because class is starting." Logan grabbed Laney's hand and started to head over to their equipment. Bailey called after them,

"Wait! I don't even know how to use one of these!"

Mr.Rickman clicked his baton against his music stand and the class became hushed. There was anticipation in the air; everyone was anxious to see who this new student was. "Band, today I want all on your best behavior. We have a new student in here who needs to see what class is like. Her name is Bailey Baker, and she will be with us for the rest of the marching band season."

There was one movement as everyone turned their heads in unison. It almost looked as if they were all one animal, acting together. All their evaluating eyes burned into her. Bailey gulped and stared back.

"That's not Bailey Baker, she'd never join band. She's with the A & B's." said a voice out of the blue. A few people turned from Bailey to look at him. It was a boy who had a saxophone in his lap and big, round, green eyes concealed behind messy bangs. He would have looked more appealing to Bailey if he hadn't just said what he said.

"Actually, I am Bailey, jerk. And I'm with your stupid band because I'm no longer able to cheer. This was a last resort." The band became even more still. The boy stared at her,

"Um..no name calling, Bailey. ..everyone get out your rhythm books." Mr.Rickman said awkwardly. The clamor started up again as everyone fanned through their folders and papers. Bailey caught the boy give her once last fleeting look before turning to his music.

---

"What were you thinking, Bailey? That was Jack. And if he doesn't like you, the band doesn't like you. He's our number one sax, playing-wise." The three girls were sauntering outside to the practice field together. It was a warm day and the sun beat down on their faces. Laney was starting to freckle; she had very fair skin. Bailey frowned.

"You know what, Logan? I don't care who he is. He's still a jerk, and needs a good kick in the-"

"Hey, new girl!" Bailey turned around and Jack was sprinting towards them. She rolled her eyes and kept walking. But Laney and Logan had stopped, so Bailey sighed and did too.

"Don't give her a hard time, jack-" Logan supplicated.

"Aw, don't worry. I was going to apologize for the way I ran my mouth in class today. I shouldn't have said those things, and I'm sorry. Will you forgive me, new girl?" He made a pleading look with his big eyes, and even though Bailey was so mad at him, she couldn't help but feel a bit swooned.

"If you stop calling me 'new girl'. I have a name, you know." She started walking away, but he grabbed her arm.

"Can I talk to you?"

Logan, Laney, and Bailey all looked alarmed. Bailey gulped and nodded her head.

"Okay."

---

"Aren't we supposed to be down there?" Bailey asked quietly. The two were sitting on the bleachers together. Jack raised an eyebrow.

"No, we always have this free time before practice."

'God, he looks so good in the sunlight.' Bailey reflected to herself, staring at the boy who was bent over tying his shoe at the moment. But she snapped out of it. "So why did you bring me up here, again?"

He laughed and she blissfully noticed he had dimples. "I wanted to get to know you, and I want you to get to know the real _me_, not the tyrant who you met in class today." He patted her on the shoulder much like a little boy would do. Bailey stared at him.

"You're not a….a tyrant." Bailey made a face.

"Well you said I was a jerk. It's pretty much the same thing." Jack sighed and stretched his legs out in front of him. He was very lean and had long legs.

"I'm sorry about that. I have to admit even I realize how bitchy I can be sometimes."

"My dog had puppies last night."

Bailey blinked. "Congratulations."

"Do you know who likes me? I mean, take a guess. I can't believe it."

"Um, I don't know everyone in the band-"

"Oliver Swanson." Jack screwed his face up after he had said it, and shook his head as if he were trying to get something out of his mind. Bailey shrugged.

"Is she pretty?"

"She kind of looks like a boy."

"Oh-"

"That's because she is a boy. Oliver is a guy's name."

Bailey stared at him for a minute before it hit her. "Ah!" But she could see why anybody would like him, even it were a guy. He was gorgeous, and already seemed.._interesting_.

"Yeah, the thing is, me and Oliver have been best friends since we were in the ninth grade. He's like a brother to me. Can you imagine your brother having a crush on you?"

"I don't have a brother-"

"I mean, I can't talk to him anymore. I don't know how to act around him. Who's your best friend?" He had sprung the big one on her. Bailey sighed and looked down.

"I don't have one."

"Oh. I'll be your friend. No one can ever have enough friends. Why do you play the triangle?"

"Why do you ask so many questions?" Bailey barked, then felt bad about it. "Sorry.."

"Oh don't worry about it, I get that all the time. I have ADD. It's no big deal. Really. So, the triangle? Why do you play the triangle?" Jack grinned like it was something pathetic and funny, but Bailey narrowed her eyes at him.

"Is there something wrong with the triangle?"

"No, it's just we didn't really _need _a triangle player. All the pit members know how to play it. Logan used to play it, before you came along. Do you like Logan? You and her seem to be quite chummy."

"Logan?"

"I used to go out with her. We went out for about a year and a half last year." His face changed suddenly, and he began to pick at a scab on his arm.

"Why did-"

"I can't wait to get home to see those puppies. They're French poodles. I personally would rather have a pit bull, but my mom thinks French poodles are cute."

Before Bailey could even think of a reply to this one, she noticed Mr.Rickman signal to them from the bottom of the bleachers to come down. Practice was about to start.

"Well, it looks like we need to get down there. Mr.Rickman might get sassy with us."

Bailey stared at Jack. "Sassy?"

"Yeah, let's go I guess." He stood up, stretched out his back, then held out a hand to Bailey. Bailey stared up at him then slowly placed her hand in his. She felt an emotion she had never felt ; something her stomach was trying to tell her as it flopped. She didn't know what it was quite yet; Bailey had never had a crush on anyone before.

--


	8. Warming Up to Each Other

Bailey had fumbled through practice trying to keep up. She had never seen a marching band up close before; she had always been too busy on the sidelines trying to get the crowd pumped rather than turn and watch the band. At halftime the cheerleaders had break, so she spent most of her time talking instead of watching the halftime show. Now things would be different. She would be _part _of the halftime show.

When she didn't have a triangle part in the music, she would pause to watch them march. It seemed so weird to her: they were rolling their feet and all in step. Sometimes she wished she were out there with them rather than standing on the side.

The color guard were a spectacle to her as well; the flags were white and green ( the school's colors ) and added to the whole picture and sort of made the whole thing come together. The school's majorettes were quite shoddy, and Bailey couldn't help but laugh at them every time they dropped their batons.

---

"Can you give me a ride today?" Bailey sprung up on Logan. They were inside putting all the equipment in its rightful place. Practice was over and everyone was filing out slowly but surely causing the band room to become more and more vacant.

Logan placed her xylo mallets in her bag and stood up to face Bailey. "I have a better idea. Why don't you spend the night? My parents are out of town so I have the house all to myself." She smiled. Bailey was stunned: the only people she had ever spent the night with were her ex-cheerleading buddies.

"Okay." She said simply, her face still petrified in disbelief.

-----

Bailey had walked away to put up the triangle, and Laney approached Logan warily. "You and Bailey are getting to be really good pals now, aren't you?"

"Ugh, I don't know. I'm not sure if I like her yet or not. So I invited her over to spend the night today. You know how my mom and dad went to Gatlinburg-"

"She's spending the night? How long has it been since I've been over there? You never invite me over anymore." Laney sulked, and Logan rolled her eyes.

"Don't be so jealous. Like I said, I don't even know if I like her yet or not. I'm just doing this to get to know her better."

"She's so different from you and me. Logan, just because she's in the band now doesn't mean she's not still a cheerleader. By that I mean she is still an A &B, and she always will be. We're who we are, and she's who she is. Don't let her spellbind you."

"You've always been like this." Logan snapped, picking up her bag and laying the strap across her shoulders. Laney put her hands on her hips.

"Like what?"

"Jealous. Every time I make a new friend you go berserk. It's like you don't want anyone else near me and you've got to get over that. I have such a hard time making new friends because of you. It's like you have to okay them first. It's not up to you who I can be friends with. Maybe I like Bailey."

"I thought you said you weren't sure."

"Well at least she doesn't run my life." And Logan walked off leaving Laney speechless.

---

Logan's house was secluded in the surreptitious realm of beauty; the moutains . It was a three-story ranch-style house with green shudders and a deck that overlooked the side of the mountain. Sometimes Logan would sit out there for hours just watching the geese fly overhead and the occasional deer coming out to poke their noses into the leaves looking for food. It was astonishingly stunning in the winter when the mountain was dipped in milky-white snow. It looked so fresh and pure, and the air was clean and crisp.

Logan put her keys into the front door and turned the knob. When they ambled into the house and Logan locked the door behind her, Bailey was taken aback by the beauty that was held inside.

"You're house is really lovely, Logan." She whispered, her eyes taking in all that surrounded her. There was the living room to the left, and Bailey could see the fireplace. The crackling of the warm orange flames was inviting; the whole house felt like home.

"We have a downstairs too, it's below ground. You can't see it from outside. That's where my room is. Shall we?" Logan began moving and Bailey followed, afraid she would get lost in such a castle.

They took some wooden stairs that spiraled downwards into darkness. Bailey held onto Logan's arm but Logan didn't mind. When they reached the bottom, Logan flipped a light switch and the whole vicinity lit up. The stairs had led into a large room with yet another fireplace ( this one wasn't burning ) and a small kitchen nearby.

"That's my kitchen." Logan explained, still on the move. "We'll fix us something to eat later. Oh, here's my room." She stopped and Bailey had overlooked the large white door. Logan tuned the knob and ventured inside, Bailey not too far behind. She turned on the lights.

"Wow." Bailey's eyes widened and her pupils became larger. If she hadn't know better, she would have thought she had just walked into a library. The ceiling arched up and there were rows and rows of shelves stacked high with books reaching towards it, as if they're grabbing fingers could not reach that high It reminded Bailey of children trying to reach for something over their heads they couldn't quite grasp.

Against a desolate wall sat a single bed. It was a girly-looking bed; pink with white sheets and a heart shaped pillow resting at the foot. On the bed there also sat a laptop.

Logan yawned and stretched out her arms. "Do you wanna watch a movie or something? That's what me and Lan- never mind. I have every movie there was ever made. I'm an addict." She ran and jumped onto her bed and, leaning over the edge, she felt around under it, then pulled out a wooden chest that was almost brimming with DVDs. Bailey remained where she was. She was not trying to show it but she was quite frankly jealous. Her own house was small compared to this one, almost belittled to nothing.

"What's the matter?" Logan asked, digging through the chest and pulling out Shrek. Bailey shrugged. "Nothing."

"Um.." Logan placed Shrek back into the chest and shoved it back under her bed. She sat up. "Why don't we just talk? I want to get to know you." Bailey had no objections to this. She loved to talk about herself. "Okay." She made her way over to the bed and sat down timidly on the edge. Logan raised an eyebrow.

"You can make yourself at home you know. My parents aren't here so it's not like we have to hold our breath." She picked up a pillow and through it on the floor. "Uh oh," she said then made a 'it doesn't matter' face. Bailey laughed.

"Okay." She took off a shoe.

"Ooh daring today are we?" They laughed. "So Bailey, tell me your life's story." Logan laid back and put her hands behind her head. Bailey cleared her throat and squirmed a bit.

"Okay, I'm warning you though, it's not all that interesting."

"Trust me, I'm all ears."

"Well, when I was little my parents got me a drum set for Christmas. I would spend hours at a time playing on that thing." She laughed to herself. "I remember it would drive my mom crazy. Sometimes my next door neighbor would come over and we'd pretend we were in a rock band. She was the singer.

" When I was in the sixth grade my mom insisted that I try out for cheerleading. I guess she wasn't too big on the whole drummer thing for her little girl. She wanted me to be a princess." She stopped.

"What does your mom think about you being in band now?"

"My mom's dead." Bailey answered quietly.

"Oh, I'm so sorry… "

"-It's not your fault. It's no one's fault. I used to tell myself it was mine, but it wasn't really anyone's. I guess I just told myself that so I would have someone to blame it on. I was so _mad _at the world. I remember the day I found out she killed herself I .." She stopped. "No one knows that. They don't know she killed herself; I let that slip out. Oh my gosh.." Bailey closed her eyes and shook her head.

"I won't tell anyone, I promise. I would never do that."

Bailey opened her eyes and continued. "Thank you. I guess I never told anyone because I was, well you know, I was with the ones in school that were perfect. That was our image; no one would ever even suspect our lives weren't faultless. I don't care anymore though. I just don't care."

Logan sat there; she didn't know what to say.

"I'm sorry, I'm pathetic, tell me about you now. Please." Bailey gave Logan a tug on her foot. Logan shrugged.

"There's not much to tell."

"I'm sure there is, I'd love to hear everything, every detail. We have all night."

---


	9. What She Didn't Know

Logan sat there; she didn't know what to say.

"I'm sorry, I'm pathetic, tell me about you now. Please." Bailey gave Logan a tug on her foot. Logan shrugged.

"There's not much to tell."

"I'm sure there is, I'd love to hear everything, every detail. We have all night."

---

Logan sat up on her bed and scooted closer to Bailey. "Well..there is a little bit to tell I guess. But a lot of it is just about me and my friends in band, you probably don't want to hear about it. It's basically all my memories of marching band, because that was the time in my life things starting looking up for me and getting _interesting_." Bailey smiled.

"Go on..I don't mind. I'd enjoy listening."

Logan took a deep breath, then got up and picked the pillow up off the floor that she had thrown earlier. She hugged it to her chest and began to pace back and forth. "Sorry, I have to move when I'm telling a story."

"It's okay." Bailey promised, her eyes following Logan back and forth.

"I was always a tomboy; I don't remember having any girl friends; I was surrounded by boys in our neighborhood. There were no girls that I remember, and if they're were they were either too old or too young for me to play with. This was when I lived in Wisconsin." She added. "I had a best friend, he was my next door neighbor and he and I were the same age. His name was Hunter. Once we played dress up; it was a wedding, and my mom has an embarrassing photo of me and him kissing on the lips. We were like six." She shook her head and laughed, still pacing.

"I'd love to see them-"

"Well you're not going to and anyway," she interrupted, "I grew up surrounded by guys, so you catch my drift. I was one of the guys. I didn't grow up playing with dolls; I was out there getting muddy in the dirt playing GI Joes with the boys. I guess I'm still like that."

"But your room-"

"I know. It's sickening, isn't it? I insisted on it being totally black, walls and carpet and all. But my mom objected and demanded I should get this pink bed and stuff. I don't know, but the _book shelves _were my idea. You don't know me like Lan- I me, well you don't know me like my other friends do-"

"Wait, are you saying you think of me as one of your friends?" Bailey ventured out of the blue. Logan stopped pacing. She stared at her.

"Of course."

"Good, because I think of you as my ..never mind. But I think of you as a friend as well."

"No, what were you going to say?"

Bailey licked her lips and she could feel her face flushing. "I don't remember."

"Yes you do. You can tell me." Logan walked over and sat down beside her on the bed. Bailey sat crumpled and small and lonely beside her. Then Bailey looked up and she had tears in her eyes.

"Logan, you're my best friend."

There was a lingering silence as those words echoed in both their heads. Logan swallowed hard. She didn't know what to say; she had only known Bailey for a week. Logan wiped the tears away with the back of her hand and sniffed.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get all emotional." She was blushing. "Maybe I should go home."

"No! I..I think of you as my best friend too." Logan lied; she felt instantly guilty for saying it. Bailey's eyes glistened with ephemeral sadness, then her face changed and she smiled, her mouth stretching wide across her wet cheeks.

"Really? You're the nicest person I have ever met: I knew right when I met you that we would be best friends; I just knew it. You're the best friend I ever had." Bailey leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Logan. Logan sat there dumbfounded. All that had happened in a mere minute.

Bailey sat back and sat there smiling. She was so naïve. 'She has nobody.' Logan thought. 'I'm her only friend.'

"Okay, sorry, you can go on, I didn't mean to interrupt." Bailey urged her happily. Logan had no choice; she didn't know what else to say about the best friend matter.

"On my seventh birthday my mom and dad told me that we were moving to Tennessee. So I packed up all my stuff and we left. That was it. I didn't get to tell all my friends bye, not even Hunter. " She paused, letting the sadness of that sink in, then continued. "So we came here. Then I made a new best friend in fifth grade. His name is Oliver, you may know him: he plays the saxophone."

"I don't know him personally but I've heard of him. I do know another guy that plays the saxophone: that Jack guy." Bailey thought back to that cherished day when he and she had talked in the bleachers. Her arm hairs pricked when she thought about him.

"Yeah, Jack. He and I go way back. I met him when I started high school. We went out last year for-"

"A year and a half."

"Yeah, how did-"

"He told me. He also told me that he knows someone that likes him. You'll never guess _who_." Bailey couldn't wait to tell Logan; she imagined that Logan would be so surprised and be glad that she informed her. That's what friends are for.

"Who likes him? A lot of people do. Can I guess? Is it Laney? Boy if it is she is so dead-"

"It's Oliver, Logan." But Logan acted as if she hadn't heard and kept going.

"I'm going to call Laney up right now! What is she thinking?" Her voice quickened and she began acting funny. She picked up the phone and she fumbled with it in her hands like she couldn't hold onto it. "I'm..I'm so gonna call her…she..is so dead….Oliver.." Her voice cracked and she dropped the phone, then flung herself onto the bed screaming and burying her face in her pillow. "Oliver!" She screamed so hard that her voice was hoarse and rough. "Oliver!" It didn't even sound like her saying it.

Bailey hurriedly scooted up to Logan and sat there not knowing what to do. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything!" She had to scream over Logan's crying. "Logan, I'm sorry!" Then all of her shyness and awkwardness left her at that split moment in time, and she lay down beside Logan on the bed and wrapped her arms around her, cuddling close, her fingers clenched around Logan's arms. Both girls needed someone to hold on to. They had both been alone their whole lives.


	10. A Sudden Interuption

Bailey hurriedly scooted up to Logan and sat there not knowing what to do. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything!" She had to scream over Logan's crying. "Logan, I'm sorry!" Then all of her shyness and awkwardness left her at that split moment in time, and she lay down beside Logan on the bed and wrapped her arms around her, cuddling close, her fingers clenched around Logan's arms. Both girls needed someone to hold on to.

---

Hours passed as the two friends exchanged their views on life and the world and death. They had been in that same position the whole time, grasping each other: because if they let go, then their whole world would go spinning again and they'd lose their balance.

"I remember how my mom would laugh. She had these beautiful dimples, and her forehead would rise. She always smelled of soap and bread dough. She cooked a lot...I miss her so much." Bailey's chest rose and fell in sadness, and she turned her head towards Logan. "What about your mom?"

Logan lay staring at the ceiling, not returning the eye contact. She didn't like to look people in the eye; she never had been able to. "There's not much to say about my mother. She had was pregnant with Larken when I was three, then she got pregnant with my youngest sister, Lilly. Lilly is five right now…but Lilly's dad isn't my dad."

"What do you mean?"

"We think my mom had an affair. I mean, well she obviously did, because that's not my dad's daughter. She looks nothing like us. She's…you can't tell anyone any of this stuff okay? Gosh I can't even believe I'm getting into all this anyway."

"I promise."

"We think she's half black. But my mom won't admit to anything."

"So where are Lilly and Larken right now?" Bailey fluffed up her pillow as she asked.

"They 're with my aunt. Mom and dad wanted auntie to watch them while they were away on the business trip. I could stay here though because I'm old enough, and they needed someone to watch over the house. So coo-coo cachoo, here we are with the house all to ourselves."

As if on cue, the doorbell rang.

Logan sat up stiff as a board . Her eyes were large and round with small pupils. Bailey sat up as well and stared at her. "Aren't you going to answer that?"

Logan rolled off the bed and stood up slowly. "They're here to get me. We have to turn off all the lights in the house and lock the doors. We have to pretend no one is home." Logan was talking fast almost in a language Bailey couldn't understand. She was already out her door and standing at the bottom of the stairs that lead up to the second story.

"Logan wait! What's going on?"

Logan turned to her slowly. "It's the people from the loony asylum. They're back and this time I'm not letting them get me."


End file.
